Nykkjesoyfossen

(Nykkjesøyfossen)

Nykkjesoyfossen is an enormous powerful waterfall located near the popular road R13 at Kinsarvik in the region Hordaland, Norway.

From Kinsarvik (municipality Ullensvang) it is a 5 minute drive over a narrow dust road to a small parking where the trail into the Husedalen starts. In summertime you better park the car before the bridge crossing the river Vivippo. In summer it can be a problem with many vehicles driving all the way to Tveitafossen. It is a 15-20 minute walk from the parking to the first waterfall, Tveitafossen. When you have passed Tveitafossen, you are in Hardangervidda National Park. There is a small sign on the trail.

It is difficult to explain how beautiful the trail into the Husedalen is. For me it is the most beautiful and exceptional walk in Norway with the Nykkjesoyfossen as one of the many highlights. An extensive description of the hike you can find on the website of Hardangerfjord (thanks to the Kinsarvik tourist office)

Four stunning waterfalls are falling down in the river Kinso where its origin lies on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The Hardangervidda is the largest mountain plateau in northern Europe on an altitude of 1000-1600 meters.

The first waterfall you will encounter in the Husedalen is Tveitafossen where the water of the river Kinso thunders down over 103 meters with an enormous power. It is hard to describe how beautiful, gorgeous, impressing this spectacle is. You have to see it for yourself.

The second waterfall (after a 30 minute walk) is at least as beautiful as the first one: Nyastølfossen (sometimes written with an extra s, Nyastølsfossen). This time the river Kinso plunges down over 115 meters. Still making a lot of noise, impressing the spectators.

After these two giants the third one (90 minute walk) is a little bit smaller but in my opinion more beautiful. The waterfall with the most beautiful name, the Nykkjesøyfossen plunges down over 60 meters. When staying at the river side you will have a really beautiful view on the waterfall.

The fourth waterfall is a twin fall and is the highlight of this waterfall trail: Søtefossen. The river Kinso plunges down over 246 meters in two steps where the upper part is the biggest. When viewing the last pictures of the Søtefossen you will notice how small the person in front of the waterfall is. Then you feel the power and the grandeur of this fall.

I visited the Husedalen twice. First time we visited the Husedalen early May when there was still snow at the upper part of the trail, but the weather in May is most of the time better (less rainfall) then in summertime. Our trip lasted about 5-6 hours including lunch and time to take pictures. When following the trail at the riverside it can sometimes be very steep and slippery.